Hebert arrested day after police say he rammed truck into police cruiser

MASSENA - A 42-year-old Massena man wanted for ramming a village police patrol vehicle was taken into custody early Friday morning when police executed a search warrant at the upstairs apartment at 40 Willow St.

Village police charged Christopher A. Hebert, 42, of 14759 state Route 37, Massena, with second-degree criminal mischief, unlawfully fleeing a police officer, resisting arrest, possession of a hypodermic needle, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, reckless driving and third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle as well as numerous other vehicle and traffic infractions stemming from an incident that occurred at 3 a.m. Thursday.

He was arraigned on the arrest warrant by Massena Town Justice Gerald P. Sharlow and sent to the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility without bail. Mr. Sharlow told Hebert the local court was unable to set bail since Hebert had three prior felony convictions.

Hebert was located at the residence of Gerald L. Dissottle Sr., 43, of 40 Willow St., Massena. Hebert was charged with third-degree hindering prosecution and possession of a hypodermic needle. He was arraigned by Mr. Sharlow and sent to the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility with bail set at $2,500 cash or $5,000 bond.

Village police, with assistance from state police and other agencies, were visible around the 40 Willow St. address for several hours Friday morning before Hebert and Dissottle were taken into custody.

“We had information that Mr. Hebert was at that location, and our investigation confirmed he was. We applied for a search warrant, executed it shortly after 6 a.m., and they were taken into custody without incident,” Massena Village Police Chief Timmy J. Currier said.

Hebert was also wanted on a warrant issued in April by the New York state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision as well as a warrant from the town of Philadelphia court.

Hebert was charged in connection to an incident early Thursday morning when police say he intentionally rammed his truck into a police car, before fleeing the scene on foot at approximately 3 a.m.

Mr. Currier said a village police officer observed Hebert enter a 2003 Ford pickup on Spruce Street early Thursday morning and was pulling in front of the vehicle in an effort to take the Massena man into custody on the parole warrant. The police chief said the officer pulled up beside and a little bit in front of Hebert’s truck. He said Hebert then took off, swerving into the patrol vehicle and then driving a short distance on Sycamore Street, Bishop Avenue and Spruce Street before getting a flat tire, jumping out of the truck and fleeing the area on foot.

Court documents indicated Hebert had taken off at a high rate of speed on Spruce Street, fishtailed, lost control and struck a curb. That collision reportedly caused a rear right wheel on the truck to break off. Hebert allegedly jumped out of the vehicle with the engine still running and the vehicle in drive.

Mr. Currier said he had not seen an estimate of damages for the 2013 village police SUV yet but estimated it would be in the several thousand dollar range. Hebert reportedly struck the SUV on the passenger side.

Police said they located a small white pouch containing a hypodermic needle and a two small packets containing a residue that tested positive for heroin inside Hebert’s truck.

Hebert was ticketed for two counts of failure to keep right, failure to comply with a lawful order, unsafe turn without a signal, failure to stop at a stop sign, leaving the scene of a property damage accident and leaving an unattended motor vehicle.

Hebert was sentenced to nine years in prison following a 2001 conviction for second-degree burglary charges. He was most recently released from prison in December 2013 after serving additional time for a parole violation. The maximum expiration date for his post-release supervision is currently February 2016.

He had been sentenced to 1 1/2 to 3 years in state prison in September 1994 for a third-degree attempted burglary conviction steming from an incident that had occurred in the village of Massena.

Hebert had also been sentenced to one to five years in state prison in October 1992 for a second-degree attempted robbery conviction stemming from an incident that took place in the village of Canton, according to the state’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision website.

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